Putti

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the global technology lead for Flatpack Global. Founded in 2015, we’re a New Zealand company providing a slew of services for all things flatpack. We go to clients’ homes and assemble any home or garden furniture for them. We sell franchises, so we don’t have staff but franchisees.

We’re currently operating in New Zealand and Australia. We had to close down the UK operation because of COVID. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Putti?

We provide the franchisees with the work through our relationships with key partners. We needed a way to provide those jobs to franchisees and to allow them to go through the job lifecycle: including invoicing, reporting back, uploading completion certificates, and so on.

We were previously working with an off-the-shelf solution, but we found it hard to make modifications to suit our business. Any requests for change we’d make needed to work for other users of the solution, so we decided to build something from scratch. After a bad experience with another vendor, we chose to work with Putti on the solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Putti developed an Android app and web-based portal. They made solution integrations with our key supply partners. They included key functionality in the app, including backend database communication, job tracking, pricing, and account integration.

We went to Putti with the wireframes and the beginnings of the solution from our previous provider. From there, we had to develop a new scope and an interim solution with them, because we had deadlines to meet for our integration with IKEA Australia, a key partner. 

Putti developed FAQs and attended meetings on our behalf, talking to IKEA's team in Europe. The interim solution integrated into our old system until the new platform was ready to go.

The previous build wasn’t workable, so what we got from Putti was a completely new app. The existing code was in such bad shape that they needed to start from scratch. We’ll probably work with them in the future to provide an iOS version of the app by the end of 2021.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with an average of five people from Putti at any point in time. This includes their CTO, a project manager, an app developer, a portal developer, and a development lead. They involves their four-person QA team only upon the release of a part of the project, for around a week.

How did you come to work with Putti?

We were having a bad experience with our previous developer, so we made a Google search and sent out feelers to about six companies. Four of those didn’t want to touch the project because it involved an existing solution. Putti offered the best solution in a timely fashion.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial scope was NZ$80,000 (approximately $58,000 USD), and we've just crossed the NZ$1 million mark with them (approximately $72,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first contact with Putti was in May 2018, and we started working with them in June of that year. They provide development services and other support on an ongoing basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve been approached by Microsoft to do a collaboration piece with Putti. We’ve actually made a marketing piece talking about the Microsoft services packed into our solution. That partnership is only possible because of the success of the platform.

We’ve continued to grow the brand, to the point where we’re looking to monetize our solution. We’ll probably put it out on a subscription basis in the next 2–3 years. What was just going to be proprietary software for internal purposes will now see a broader usage.

How did Putti perform from a project management standpoint?

Putti was one of two developers that we approached that were willing to pick up our existing mess. They helped us meet deadlines that we were very much expecting to miss because of the previous developer. We’ve gotten through four major releases, and Putti is continuing to help us project by project. The overall project management of the organization has been really strong.

We communicate primarily by email, but we also use Teamwork for tracking the hours involved in the job, along with scope documents, the project roadmap, and more.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The thing that’s always worked for us is that we’re very like-minded. Putti is a small New Zealand-based developer, and they understand our challenges and work with us. They’re not just a one-size-fits-all company. They’ve become partners to us, rather than just solution providers. We regularly catch up and discuss strategy, and we’re very much aligned on our approach to the market at this stage.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything has been great. I’d like to see them get bigger and have more available resources.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They should be very upfront with their requirements and willing to listen to Putti’s advice. One of the problems we had with our previous developer was that we gave them a brief, and they tried to develop to that brief, but they didn’t provide any feedback. Unfortunately, we didn’t know everything, so, when the solution was first put in front of us, it had a lot of holes.

Putti used their experience to help assist us in our choices. We just need to be willing to listen to the information the provider is offering, and not just go in there with what we want, as a black-and-white solution.